


Notes and bickering are the foundation of every friendship

by Virino



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fighting, First Meetings, Gen, Nozel and Fuegoleon need friends, Nozel is seven years old and Fuegoleon is eight years old, Nozel is worried about Acier, Pre-Canon, Theresa neeeds vacation, fluff and little angst, minor descriptions of wounds but no details, no ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27456745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Virino/pseuds/Virino
Summary: "...One day, he overheard a conversation. Some reckless nobles loudly discussed the worsening situation between countries and fights on neutral territory. Nozel connected the dots. Of course! Mom had to fight there, and that’s why it takes so long!So, if no one wanted to help him, then he would find his mother on his own."***Nozel wants to find his mom, but instead, he finds Fuegoleon in the castle's library late at night. Chaos ensues, feat. Nozel's difficult character, Fuegoleon's stubborness and note-taking. A lot of note-taking.
Relationships: Nozel Silva & Fuegoleon Vermillion
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Notes and bickering are the foundation of every friendship

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries, I'm sorry ^^"
> 
> A lot of the dialogues used in this fic I had in mind for some time now, but couldn't develop it into seperate works. So I decided to use them here.
> 
> No excuses, I just needed more of Fuegoleon and Nozel in my life recently. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> But I hope you'll like it! <3

Nozel hated it when his mother was absent.

“I’ll be gone for two weeks only, I promise.” Acier always said that, and usually, she was keeping that promise.

This time, however, two weeks have passed, and there were no signs of her squad coming back. Nozel tried to talk with adults, using his authority as the eldest son of the Silva House. However, nobody wanted to give him any details. Without his mother around, he was just another child in the castle that they brushed him off like some stupid brat. Nozel hated all of them - his tutors, maids, other royals, everyone. Hated them for their fake smiles and pseudo caring voices, for treating him like a mindless child.

And then, one day, he overheard a conversation. Some reckless nobles loudly discussed the worsening situation between countries and fights on neutral territory. Nozel connected the dots. Of course! Mom had to fight there, and that’s why it takes so long!

So, if no one wanted to help him, then he would find his mother on his own.

However, that territory has a lot of mana and powerful monsters popping out all the time. It was difficult for an experienced Magic Knight to survive, let alone a small boy. But if Nozel got something else from his mom than magic, it’s her stubbornness.

First, he needed to learn more about that particular place. Fortunately, the castle had the richest library in the whole country. For sure, he would find something there, he thought and decided to go there at night. 

The library was a lot scarier after the sunset, and every small creek of the door echoed ten times louder than usual. Nozel somehow managed to sneak inside unnoticed, but another problem has appeared immediately. There was almost no light inside, with bookshelves lining up in a seemingly endless maze. He started from the nearest bookshelf to slowly and quietly make progress. However, most of the books had words unknown to him on the covers, also reading anything in darkness took even more time than usual.

How hard is it to find one stupid geography book!?

It felt like hours passed before he finally found something that seemed useful. A book with big, visible 'geography' word on the back stood on one of the highest selves. He had to start SOMEWHERE, preferably before dawn. So he did the most logical thing and started climbing the bookshelves, careful not to destroy anything in the meantime. Maybe he was a royal, but his mana control still didn't allow him to levitate, so he had to settle for a more traditional method.

Finally, he stretched the hand to grab the book. The first step to finding his mom.

“I’m sorry- '' An unknown voice made Nozel flinch, and immediately lost the grip of the edge of the shelf. The next thing he registered was a loud thud, the hard floor, and the absurdly loud sound of falling books.

Nozel looked up and saw a boy with red hair, probably the same age as him, holding a small flame in his right hand.

“Hey, are you okay?” The concerned boy reached his hand, but Nozel smacked it off.

“Are you dumb?'' But before Nozel would have a chance to complain more, the boy’s flame disappeared. Instead, grabbed Nozel's wrist, forcing him to stand up and run. He barely managed to take that damn book he wanted.

The boy practically shoved him behind the curtains and covered Nozel’s mouth. In the end, Nozel felt glad for that quick reaction because a few seconds later, someone loudly opened the doors and rushed through the room. After a few minutes, he heard a loud sigh, a lot of swear words, and after a while, that person left the library loudly closing the door behind.

None of them dared to move for a while. Nozel’s heart was beating so fast that his chest hurt, but also, it was irritating to have a stranger's sweaty hand on the mouth for so long. He grabbed the boy’s wrist and forcefully took it off, taking a deep breath.

“As I said, are ALL Vermillions that dumb to just bother people out of nowhere?” Nozel had plenty of time to see and recognize the color scheme characteristic of Vermillion House on stranger's clothes. Maybe he was too aggressive because the boy raised his hands in defense.

“I-I’m sorry, but it is your fault. You can’t just walk on bookshelves! It's disrespectful and dangerous. Who’s stupid now?”

“Still you.”

The boy (who didn’t even bother to introduce himself) crossed arms and squinted eyes.

“I’ve heard that the Silva family has better manners than that. What are you even doing here?"

“None of your business,” Nozel answered shortly, but curiosity took better of him. “And you?”

“Same thing, none of your business.” 

For a moment, they just stared at each other, but even for Nozel, it became too awkward. He took a deep breath and introduced himself properly. “I’m Nozel Silva, the oldest child of the Silva family. I remember that Vermillion house has a girl as the oldest child,  
so who are you? Let me guess, something-something-Leon?”

“Fuegoleon. Fuegoleon Vermillion, the oldest son of the Vermillion family. Everyone knows my sister.”

Of course, everyone heard about that crazy girl with a lack of self-control, who sometimes stole food from the kitchen and generally was the cause of headaches for all teachers in the castle. But at the same time, she was really strong and promising the next head of the family. 

But the boy’s name sounded familiar.

“Wait, I know you,” Nozel remembered and clapped hands in excitement. “You’re that kid who never talks with anyone and almost burnt a part of the castle last week!” 

“I-It wasn’t that big!” Fuegoleon lost composure immediately. His voice became shaky and desperate to end this topic before it escalated. Bingo, Nozel found his weakness.

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Fireman.” Nozel, feeling he gained a higher ground, relaxed a little and crossed his legs. “So, what are you doing, and should you be in a place like that? Books are easy to burn, you know? Or maybe, you're a pyromaniac freak, and I caught you red-handed? Hmm?”

Suddenly, Fuegoleon stretched his hand like when he was holding fire and calmly said. “If you want so badly to see my magic, then watch!”

Oh my god, this idiot will burn everything, Nozel thought. But before he could react, Fuegoleon concentrated and created two small fireballs over the palm. But as quickly as they appeared, they blasted, and automatically Nozel covered the face. He heard Fuegoleon’s sharp breath, and the first thing Nozel saw was the boy holding biting his lower lip while looking at his hand.

Small burns appeared on Fuegoleon's hand.

That made Nozel unreasonably annoyed.

“Look at this burn! Why do you even think this is a good idea?”

“Because I need to catch up to my sister. And to do that, I need to train harder than anyone.” Fuegoleon’s tone was eerily emotionless, but it was clear that it hurt.

“You won’t catch up to her if you lose your hands.”

“It doesn’t even hurt that much,” Fuegoleon said one thing, but Nozel still saw the tears gathering in the corners of the boy's eyes.

Nozel clicked his tongue. “Not only are you an idiot, but an awful liar. Come on.” He stood up and took the book in one hand and grabbed Fuegoleon with the second, practically dragging the boy out of the room.

He didn’t even care that someone might notice them, but thankfully, no one passed them on the way to the doctor. Nozel made sure that Fuegoleon would get proper treatment and left knowing that doctor would keep the secret. 

That night didn’t go as planned, because Nozel never wanted to be a nanny to some condescending brat, but that's okay. He had plenty of time to prepare. At least he got something to start the research. He just had to hope that the next time no one would interrupt him. And with that positive attitude, he sneaked back to his bedroom.

***

Studying completely unknown territory was harder than the thought. A few days later and late-night trips to the library made Nozel grow more and more frustrated, but he couldn’t give up. Sure, it was hard to read all of this info and compile them into notes, but he had to try.

And one night, when he entered the library, Fuegoleon just stood next to the big stash of books on the table.

“What are you doing?” Nozel asked suspiciously and quickly glanced at the boy’s hands. They were covered in bandages. However, Fuegoleon seemed more confident than the last time, with his smug grin.

“I’m trying to help,” Fuegoleon stated, and seeing Nozel confused look, he added. “I noticed on the first day that you hold a book with maps. I got curious and Doctor Owen mentioned that you asked him about that high priority mission on neutral territory recently. So I searched the library for you and gathered all useful, updated books with pieces of information.” He proudly patted the stash and waited for a response.

“Why?” Nozel asked flatly. It was beyond his understanding of why someone he screamed at wanted to help him.

“First, you took a geography book from a century ago. It's a useful resource only if you want to study the history of the region. So, I concluded you don't know what to do and need help." Nozel wanted to protest, but Fuegoleon's smile became warmer, and his eyes shined with excitement. "Besides, I think it’s better to study together! Since we both will be Magic Knights, then we should help each other in gaining knowledge!”

Oh, so he is one of those guys, Nozel thought.

“When you put it like that, it really sounds okay. But wait, how did you know? About that mission.”

"My father told me."

It felt like a punch in the gut. "You mean, your parent just told you about a super important mission? Just like that?"

"Yup, both my parents talk with us about those type of stuff. I've got really curious, so I started my research a few weeks ago." Fuegoleon looked at Nozel, surprised. "I mean, for me it's normal, but when I was your age they also were hostile to talk about work, since I was too young to understand anyway."

"You're only one year older." Nozel tucked his hair behind the ear and squinted the eyes. "Hmph. Your parents waited that long? My mom and dad talk with me about their mission since I was three! Sorry to hear that your parents don't think you're smart enough. I just came here to revise my knowledge, that's right." He proudly put hands on his hips, sure that his little lie would make Fuegoleon jealous.

But Fuegoleon seemed genuinely unimpressed. "Is that so? Good for you. So, you want to study together or not?"

"Just stay and help me. I may be child genius, but I don't remember everything that I've read." Nozel sat next to Fuegoleon, who didn't ask any more questions. Eighter he bought younger boy's lie or was nice enough not to point out. Either way, both of them grabbed books and started reading.

He almost felt sorry for Fuegoleon and the way he planned to use him to quickly get through all of the material. Almost. 

***

Of course, Nozel was still a little boy, so curiosity took over him, and despite initial hostility, started talking with Fuegoleon more casually the next night. 

“Say, how’s that you can’t control your magic?” Nozel asked plainly one night while taking notes on some sort of monster that often appears in the desert. “It’s kinda weird.”

“My teacher says that’s normal a lot of royal kids have that problem. She said it has something to do with too much mana around us, which makes it hard to control.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never hurt myself.”

Fuegoleon sighed angrily and focused on writing. “I don’t know. But it’s normal. I’m just a late bloomer. One day I’ll show you.” Something about that unapologetic, straight-forward statement made Nozel laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, late-blooming. I didn’t hear your sister has those types of problems.”

Then, Fuegoleon gave Nozel an empty stare. “You’re under the assumption that my sister would hold back. She almost burnt her clothes recently, but no one makes a fuss about it because she's stronger than both of us combined.”

“Note to myself, never fight with your sister. And how's your hand? Should you even write right now?”

Fuegoleon put a pen down and looked at the hand. "It's nothing big, I just can't do usual magic training, and my teacher let me do more self-study by myself. But she was angry, a lot."

"Aren't you scared that she will find you?"

Fuegoleon smirked. "Don't worry. My sister also sneaks out all the time and the teacher is too busy with her. I just have to be careful, and she won't notice."

"Good." Nozel didn't know what to say anymore, so they just started working again in silence.

***

A few nights have passed, and Nozel learned a lot. Mostly that Fuegoleon was weird.

Fuegoleon acted arrogantly sometimes, even condescending, often bringing up the age difference between them. He liked to reprimand Nozel for his lack of respect for the library resources, or something like that. But Nozel saw him as a nerdy kid desperately wanting positive attention. Like, that one time when Fuegoleon spent an hour explaining his note-taking technique and pouted for the rest of the night when Nozel didn’t appreciate it. Fuegoleon was just a weird, ambitious kid, but probably that’s what happens when someone is compared to their siblings all the time.

“I think we’re the first people who gather all of this information in one place,” Fuegoleon exclaimed proudly, as he was wiping out the ink from his cheek. “Now I get why this mission takes so long.”

“My mom is one of the captains,” Nozel said accidentally. He really didn't want to bring that topic, scared that Fuegoleon might start to suspect something. But the redhead also added.

“My dad and mom also fight there. They're responsible for strategy.”

That was unexpected. Of course, Nozel knew that every squad had sent a bunch of their Magic Knights, but it was surprising to hear that from Fuegoleon.

“Aren’t you worried?” Nozel tried to get more from him, but Fuegoleon shrugged his arms.

“I’m the oldest son of the Vermilion family. Of course, it's scary, but I have to learn to live with that. Besides, your mother and my father are strong in their ways. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah, of course. I’m sure my mom will protect your parents.”

“And My sister is stronger than you’ll ever be. Just accept, Silva House is doomed with you as the head of the family.”

“Torchman.”

“And you have silver hair despite being younger than me.”

“Idiot.”

“Moron.”

If Fuegoleon hadn't been so useful, Nozel wouldn't have bothered wasting his precious time with some redhead nerd without friends. But even Nozel had to admit deep down that having someone with whom he can argue and act like a kid was nice. Not as bad as he thought, at least. 

***  
Another night.

“Nozel.”

“What is this?”

“You have a little sister, right?”

Nozel looked up and stared at Fuegoleon as if he was stupid. “Of course. You didn’t know?”

“I knew, just…” Fuegoleon closed the book and leaned closer towards Nozel. “What is she like?”

“She barely can say words.” But Nozel gave it a thought. “Nebra screams. A lot. And she pulls my hair all the time, I don’t like her.”

His last statement made Fuegoleon gasp loudly.

“Don’t say that. Younger siblings are so cool. You can teach them about different stuff, show them the world.”

“How do you know? You don’t have a younger sibling.” Nozel shrugged arms and tried to go back to reading.

“No, but I want one. It would be so cool, and I would be a better older brother than my sister was to me. She was the one who pulled my hair a lot.”

Nozel clicked his tongue, not really in the mood for another story about complicated family relationships. “If you really want, I can talk with my mom and see if I can borrow you Nebra.”

But that suggestion didn't satisfy Fuegoleon.

“You’re mean. And you’ll give your sister a bad influence.”

Nozel sighed. “Listen, it’s none of your business. But good luck with waiting for a sibling, I guess.”

“I’ll be ten times better than your older brother than you.” Fuegoleon murmured and opened the book again.

“Then I’ll be a million times better.”

“Zero multiplied by a million is still zero. Maybe don’t teach her math.”

"I hate you so much."

"I like you too, Nozel."

***

“Check this out.”

Nozel hasn't even said ‘hi’, after entering the library, just proudly walked towards the table where Fuegoleon was sitting and concentrated. A small shiny ball appeared right over the table and started changing its shape. It took him a while, but Nozel managed to form it into a bird. He was so proud of himself earlier that day when he finally managed to create that. Even his tutor was impressed!

But Fuegoleon stared at it blankly.

“What is your magic anyway?” Fuegoleon asked, and that made Nozel slightly uneasy.

“My mom says I have the same magic as her so it will be Steel Magic,” Nozel announced proudly, but Fuegoleon seemed unimpressed.

“It’s weird.”

“Still better than basic fire.”

“My family magic isn’t basic, but your's weird.”

Nozel crossed his arms, furious that Fuegoleon didn’t appreciate his talent. “You should think about changing your Family name to something more fitting, like… Basicmillion.”

“That is such a weak insult I’m not even mad.” Fuegoleon’s calmness made Nozel even angrier.

“Basicmillions running squad Basic Lions. What can you even do with magic like that? Start a fire in the camping?”

“Small birds won’t give you the heat necessary to survive cold nights during missions.”

Nozel just sat and put his little bird figure aside. It wasn't like he wanted to impress that brat! Just thought that since Fuegoleon is one big nerd, he would appreciate Nozel's blooming talent. And since they both knew how it feels, when others don't appreciate you enough, he expected more empathy. Guess he was wrong.

He had to sulk really hard because Fuegoleon stared at him for a minute and finally took the bird to look at it closer.

“It’s not bad. I also think it’s pretty impressive for a seven-year-old. It’s surprisingly smooth and proportional. If you keep your pace, then soon you’ll be able to do cool armors like your mom. At least I think so. Can you do other stuff?”

"Why do you care?"

"Just show me, or I'm leaving."

Still angry Nozel started making different shapes, mostly small animals and felt a little better seeing Fuegoleon genuinely impressed with some of them. After Nozel finished, he felt tired but satisfied.

"I have to admit that the cat you've made was cute!"

“Nice to see that even someone so basic like you can appreciate art. Bet you won't do cool animals as I can.” Nozel tried to sound angry, but Fuegoleon probably noticed his excited undertone.

“Yeah, I’m sooo basic. You won.”

***

It was two nights before the day Nozel wanted to escape. They basically researched every book at this point and created the most insightful notes about that particular magic region. They were just correcting small spelling mistakes and joked around.

Maybe they were too loud at that time. Of course, they got so used to spending time together in the library that they forgot about their surroundings.

And they heard quick footsteps approaching the library. They didn’t even have time to hide the books, just grabbed their notes, and hid in their usual spot. The sound of heels furiously walking through the library was closer and closer, and both Nozel and Fuegoleon covered their mouths.

Then, the sound of the steps stopped.

“Fueggy, I swear to God, if you’re here, I’m going to lock you up for good.” The person walked away from the hiding spot, probably to check the other side of the library. “Or better. I’m going to lock you up with your sister if you don’t come out on your own. I saw the books, you have for three seconds! One…”

Nozel connected the dots. It had to be that teacher Fuegoleon mentioned a few times before. He looked at the boy, and Nozel got even more stressed. Fuegoleon gulped and looked like he was about to cry but thought about something intensely.

“Two…”

If she would find both of them, then it would be over. No more night study sessions, no meetings, nothing. Maybe she would even tell Nozel's tutor about this.

“Thr…”

“I’m sorry, Miss.”

His body acted on its own. Nozel left the curtain, making sure that Fuegoleon stayed hidden behind the curtain. A strict looking woman turned around and looked at him from the other side of the library. Nozel wasn’t sure, but she looked even more surprised than he was.

“Oh, you’re Nozel, right? From Silva house?” She stiffly walked towards the boy, and with her every step, Nozel heart felt heavier and heavier.

Finally, they were face to face.

“Why do all the royal children like to sneak out so late? Do I have to talk with your father and mother?” She crossed her arms, and her stare pierced through him.

Nozel averted his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you here?”

“T-to study, Miss...”

“Theresa. And you needed two books at once?” Theresa started looking around the room again. And finally, she asked dryly. “Where’s Fuegoleon?”

“I’m alone.”

“Don’t lie to me, boy. I know that he’s sneaking out of his bedroom, and I checked everywhere. Where is he?”

“I swear, I’m just studying so hard that I double-checked information. I swear!”

Nozel could feel his knees were shaking from stress. He knew that his position as a son of the Acier meant nothing at that moment.

“Look at me.” Theresa patiently waited until Nozel looked at her again. “Why would a seven-year-old read about stuff like that? At this hour? I know Fuegoleon. He probably dragged you into this. So either you tell me the truth or convince me that you were really doing all of that.”

She waited for a response, and Nozel’s mind almost exploded from stress. Although his thoughts were running like crazy through the head, he couldn’t grasp any of them. Believable excuse? No way. But if he failed, she would find Fuegoleon sooner or later.

So Nozel decided to be honest.

“I miss my mom.”

“Excuse me?” Theresa seemed slightly shocked by the boy’s statement, but it was too late. Nozel felt tears running through his cheeks.

“She isn’t coming back. And I was worried. Wanted to read more about that place where she is. It calms me down. My mom is really strong, but I’m worried. I don’t know why I came here so late, I couldn’t sleep, and… No one wants to talk with me, it's unfair!”

Staying on one topic was impossible, with Nozel too focused on wiping away the tears. He felt so tired, wanted to go back to sleep. But he also felt so humiliated. Crying his eyes out in front of a stranger, with his frenemy watching and hearing all of it?

He was a disgrace to the Silva family and a disappointment to his mom…

Suddenly, someone patted his head. Nozel didn’t know when, but Theresa created a lion with her magic and stepped aside to give him space, leaving Nozel with her creation.

“You can hug it.” She said. “This thing calms down my students every time, so I thought it may help you too.”

Nozel felt reluctant at first, but after a few seconds, he hid his face in the animal fur-like fire. It was strangely calming, hearing a low purr coming from it.

Theresa gave him five minutes before she walked closer. Her tone became warmer and sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Nozel. We adults sometimes forget that children are more insightful than we give them credit. Your mom is strong, but you have to be strong too. And by that, I mean you can’t skip your sleep. I won’t tell anyone about it, but promise me this is the last time. I’ll be here tomorrow all night to make sure. And now show me where your room is. You can ride on its back if you want.” With that, she patted the lion's back. "And if you meet Fuegoleon somewhere then tell him this is the last time I'll tolerate his behavior."

Nozel nodded and gladly sat on the lion's back. Nozel just hoped that Fuegoleon would manage to get back to his room and pass the notes to him before his departure, but he was too tired to care. He just snugged his face in fur and wondered if Fuegoleon would be nice enough to learn something like that and let him sleep on it from time to time.

***  
As he promised to Theresa, Nozel didn't go to the library. Fortunately, Fuegoleon somehow managed to pass to him their notes, and the next two days Nozel spent on preparing for the departure.

His plan was perfect.

He prepared food and water supply for the next weeks. He memorized every little detail, every information about the desert. MAYBE he wasn’t as strong as adult Magic Knights, but he was confident in his skills.

But something happened that night that forced him to put his plans on hold and confront the culprit.

“Snitch.”

Fuegoleon slowly raised his head to look up, and Nozel saw a glimpse of amusement in the boy’s eyes.

“Nice fringe. Do you try new haircuts?” Of course, he had to comment on Nozel's burned fringe.

They've met somewhere else than the library. Fuegoleon once mentioned he likes to go to the castle's garden from time to time to practice. And there he was, sitting under a tree with some book and barely holding back laughter.

“How?” A short, simple, spatted question from Nozel oozed with anger. And Fuegoleon, visibly proud of himself, closed his book.

“I started thinking after our last meeting. I noticed before you were weirdly eager to find all of this info about this place, and I just assumed that you’re like me. But that little incident with my teacher got me curious. So I just did the most rational thing and told my sister that a strong guy will try to escape the castle soon, and she should train near the entrance for some time.”

“You asshole! Your sister challenged me for a duel!” To represent that, Nozel changed his voice to mimic Mereoleona and even cracked the knuckles. “Come here, Eagle boy, and let's see who’s stronger! I almost died!”

“Yup, that sounds like my sister.” Fuegoleon simply agreed and chuckled. “So Mereoleona also burnt your fringe?”

“You sent your crazy sister to hunt me, just because you had a hunch!?”

“My teacher always emphasizes the importance of observing a situation and listening to your gut feeling. Plus, my parents are great strategists, always told me to think and use any resources I have.” Here he theatrically closed the book to emphasize his last sentence. “So I used the best resource I had and asked Mereoleona.”

Nozel clenched his fists. That arrogant brat deceived him and acted all smug about it. Without thinking, he pulled the book out of Fuegoleon’s hands and aimlessly tossed it in the garden. Before Fuegoleon could scream at him for destroying 'valuable resources', Nozel went all out on him.

“Now you decided to do something, weirdo!? Are you that miserable that no one even remembers that you exist? That you let your sister push you around all the time? That you can’t do anything useful with your magic? So you want to make me miserable!?” Nozel grabbed Fuegoleon’s clothes and pressed the boy’s back on the tree. “If not for you, I would be on my way already. But what do you know? You won’t ever get onto the battlefield. Do whatever you want to feel better with yourself, but don't drag me into this.”

Nozel shamelessly used any scrap of information Fuegoleon gave him during these past few days. Everything just to hurt the boy as much as he could. He regretted it as soon as he ended when his anger slightly toned down and practically screamed out his frustration. Fuegoleon squeezed Nozel's wrist but didn’t push the other boy away.

They both stood there, eyeing each other, while Nozel tried to push away that feeling of guilt forming inside of him. Which was hard, considering he had a clear view of Fuegoleons face. For a moment, it seemed that the redhead was close to crying. His eyes became slightly watery, with the light flickering in them. But Fuegoleon didn’t cry. He didn’t even avert the eyes. There was something else.

“Then prove it.” Fuegoleon's tone was calm. “Show me you're strong enough to survive out there and fight with me. I’m sure it’ll be so easy for you.”

Nozel let him go and took a few steps back, while Fuegoleon raised his fists, ready to fight.

Nozel finally knew what emotion the boy had in the eyes. It was a determination, similar to one that he saw in Mereoleona when she started a fight.

“Easy.” They didn’t have a gimmoirse’s yet, so Nozel concentrated and managed to create a few small balls made of steel. “Just don’t cry later.”

And this is how their first fight happened. Almost a decade later, Nozel would flinch in cringe whenever Fuegoleon reminded him of that event. But at that moment it was the most important fight of the century!

At first, Fuegoleon’s attacks were more sloppy and lacked confidence, compared to Mereoleona. Plus, his fire lacked the strength, with the range way shorter than his sister, which made it easy for Nozel to force him to stay away. Fuegoleon, however, reminded more of a lion waiting for an opening to attack. He was way more analytical, and despite Nozel having an advantage in distance fights, he couldn’t hit Fuegoleon with any of his bullets. And he wasn't skilled enough to keep more than two balls at once and manipulate them freely. At one point, Nozel had to support his one hand with the other to properly aim, and none of them managed to even scratch the opponent.

Nozel quickly realized that he's the one at disadvantage and had to think quickly.

He took a few steps back and lost balance for a second. A second too long. Out of nowhere Fuegoleon appeared next to him, before Nozel could even understand what was going on, he felt a ridiculously hot fist on one of his cheeks. His body flew and hit the ground a few meters further.

Nozel touched his cheek, it was itchy and hot. There was a burn, for sure. Fuegoleon used fire magic on him.

“How do you want to fight if you can’t hold one punch!? Huh!? I’m waiting!” Nozel didn’t even recognize Fuegoleon’s voice. It was too hoarse and too excited.

That kid, who was so scared of getting caught by adults, the less talented Vermillion sibling, now screamed like crazy with the same expression as Mereoleona. Nozel automatically looked at Fuegoleon's hand and gulped. They were all red from burns. Good that no one was around to witness that.

Nozel clicked his tongue. That reckless idiot.

Nozel felt all his strength and determination disappeared. He turned on his back and looked at the sky. In the end, they were both children. Fuegoleon might hurt himself easily, but at least he wasn't delusional and stubborn that he would've survived on a battlefield.

But Nozel just wanted to make sure his mom is okay. There's nothing wrong with that.

Fuegoleon fell next to him, breathing heavily.

“I think we both need to see a doctor.” He simply stated, but none of them made a move.

“Yeah, just don’t touch anything, or you’ll get an infection or something… And your screaming was cringy, please never do that again.”

Fuegoleon nodded and took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry.”

Nozel turned to face him. “For what?”

“I just thought that something bad might happen if you go, and… I hate it. I know I said earlier we have to get used to people just disappearing or dying, but I hate it. I hate when everyone gets sad because we’ve lost people in the battle. When I become a Magic Knight I won’t let anyone from my squad die.”

“Big talk for someone who can’t even fight without injuring himself in the process.”

“But it doesn’t matter. I mean, I saved you from making a mistake. It’s worth it if you protect others.” Said Fuegolen and gave Nozel a small but encouraging smile, despite being visibly hurt.

Nozel never had a proper friend of his age. He always found other kids stupid or too weird to even try and approach them. Not because he was unapproachable himself, not at all. Fuegoleon checked in both of these categories. But with him around, nights become more interesting, and days more bearable.

Of course, he didn’t say it out loud.

“Sorry for calling you a weirdo. But I’ll kick your butt next time.”

“I’ll kick your butt ten times harder next time, then.” Fuegoleon stood up and helped Nozel before both of them started walking to the doctor's office.

“Then I’ll kick your butt and shave your head.”

“I’ll wait till your fringe grows back and claim it as my trophy… After I’ll kick your butt a million times harder.”

***

Few days after their fight, Acier and her squad came back. It was a mess at first, with all the wounded Magic Knights and general chaos in the whole castle. But it didn't matter. His mom came back, she was there with him, and his life will finally be back to normal.

Or so he thought.

"Nozel, sweetie, what is this?" Acier walked into his son's room with a stash of papers in hand, which Nozel recognized immediately. The notes! He forgot about them!

Nozel nervously watched as Acier looked through them, just to make a surprised gasp. "You did all of them?"

"Y-yeah, someone helped me, but these are mine. Did I do something wrong?" After recent events, Nozel became warier of adults showing interest in his actions.

"Why do you think like that? Of course not! I'm just so proud that my son got invested in learning! You know what? We can look through them, and I'll tell you what I've seen there, okay? Maybe we should invite the person who helped you? Is that one of your tutors?"

Nozel thought about that intensely for a few seconds. He could've just brushed it off and spend some time with his mom like they used to. On the other hand...

"I'll just go and bring him myself, okay? It will be easier."

"So, I'll prepare tea and cake. I'm so happy you've made new friends, maybe I should go out more often?"

"Don't even joke like that!" With that Nozel left Silva House part of the castle and went looking for his friend. It didn't take long before he found not only Fuegoleon but Mereoleona, who decided to tag along with them.

***

Acier was worried about her son. He was still young but seemed completely uninterested in spending time with kids his age, always sticking up to someone from their family. And as a mother, she respected his decision even if it made her worry about his future. She has never said it out loud, but their relatives were spiteful. Some of them lacking respect for everyone. It wasn't the environment for an impressionable child like Nozel, yet Acier couldn't shield him from them.

That's why she felt so relieved when Nozel came back not only with children around his age but also royals from other Family.

The luck was on her side.

"I know you! You must be Mereoleona and Fuegoleon, right? Thank you for helping Nozel."

"She didn't help me at all." Nozel murmured, and Mereoleona put hands on her hips.

"I cut your bangs, you ungrateful brat."

"Can you at least hold back in front of Captain? You're so embarrassing." Fuegoleon sighed and spoke directly to Acier with a serious tone. "I'm the one who helped your son. I hope you can teach us a lot more, Captain of Silver Eagle."

"Just call me 'Acier'. Or 'Nozel's mom', but no need to be so formal right now." She kneeled in front of the boy and shook his hand, which made Fuegoleon blush a little. "I hope you'll stay good friends with my son."

"Actually, we're sworn rivals, one day I'll beat your son in everything."

Acier looked surprised at her son, and Nozel quickly explained. "Mereoleona gave me a cut, Fuegoleon gave me a swollen cheek, and now he claims I'm his rival or something. I don't know, they're weird."

"Because we're rivals!" Fuegoleon completely forgot about the handshake, quickly walking up towards Nozel to start another argument

In the middle of the boys' bickering, Mereoleona walked closer to her and asked. "Can we ditch them, and you'll teach me some cool magic tricks?"

Acier liked the girl's attitude and straightforwardness. It reminded her how she acted.

"Just meet with me tomorrow in front of the castle's gate, and I'll show you some cool stuff, okay?" Acier whispered back and winked at Mereoleona, which made the girl even more excited. With one problem solved, Acier clapped her hands to get the attention of two boys. "Instead of fighting, we should sit down and eat a cake together. What do you think?"

The cake always soles every conflict.

All four of them sat down together, and Acier eagerly started talking. Seeing their reactions and little jabs at each other made her felt relieved that Nozel finally found good friends. Even if she'll be gone for longer than usual, at least he wouldn't be alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Can't finish any of my WIPs  
> Also me: Writes massive one-shot in three days
> 
> For everyone, who read it/left a kudos/ commented: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 
> 
> I really hope you are all safe, I really do! And I hope this fic somehow gave you positive emotions!


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